Page 71 of The Trophy

I just realized that Luca and I bond over a number of things. Obviously we’re teammates and frat brothers. We both play offense even though on opposite wings, we both let people judge us based on our surface images, keeping our real selves for those closer to us. We both lived in Europe. I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised that we’re into the same girl.

Aside from Lakyn’s obviously gorgeous exterior, we both love her wit, her honesty and her loyalty toward her loved ones.

As we approach Lakyn’s ex-boyfriend, stopping at either side of the barstool he’s occupying, the thought hits me that I trust Luca.

I trust him on the ice, with Lakyn and as a friend. He would definitely make the short list of the people I would want to ask for help if I had to hide a body.

Not that we’ll need to hide a body tonight.

Maybe.

“What can I get you, guys?” the pretty bartender asks, batting her eyelashes when she recognizes us.

I meet Luca’s gaze over the top of Lakyn’s ex’s head and smile at my teammate before placing my order. “Whatever he’s having,” I grin, nodding in Jonathan’s direction. “And get another one for our friend here too.”

That gets his attention. “Oh Gee, thanks. I should have believed my girlfriend when she kept telling me that people here in Star Cove are much friendlier than at Princeton.”

I immediately dislike the douche.

Of course I was already biased because he did cheat and dump Lakyn.

Don’t even get me started on how he just called her his girlfriend and name dropped Princeton to make himself sound important.

First off, Star Cove is an Ivy League school, with nothing to envy to the more famous universities in the country.

But what I have a real big problem with is that he had the nerve of coming here, transferring to Star Cove without telling her, like a real creep. An unsolicited dick pic sending creep to boot.

“What can I say,” Luca’s grin doesn’t reach his eyes, making him look positively scary. “We like to make new people feel welcome here. Right, Blaze?”

I nod, my hand landing on Jon’s shoulder in a firm grip.

The guy is several inches shorter than me and I’m pretty sure I must have seventy pounds on him, so I hope I look as intimidating as I intend to.

“Right. We wouldn’t want any new students to feel unwelcome here. Especially the ones we share so much history with.”

“What history?” he looks confused as his eyes flit from me to Luca until who we are finally dawns on him and recognition flickers in his gaze. “You’re those hockey players,” he says, his mouth twisted in displeasure. “The ones Bay bought for Lake at an auction.”

I don’t know what rubs me more wrong. His superior attitude, or the way he says “auction.”

Granted, maybe we didn’t meet Lakyn in a conventional way, but that’s none of this asshole’s business.

Just hearing him call my girl “Lake,” makes me tighten my grip on his shoulder, fighting the urge to lift him so that he’s at eye level with me and wipe that little smug smile off his face.

He lost the right to call her Lake when he betrayed her and hurt her.

“What do you want?” the asshole asks, bringing to his lips the pint of beer the bartender just served him.

Thankfully Luca takes over from that point, because for the life of me, right now I can’t think straight.

“We just wanted to meet you and make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to Lakyn,” Luca explains, with way more self-control than I can find right now.

“On the same page?” Jonathan smirks. “Why do you need to be on any page about my girlfriend?”

I set him straight. “Your ex-girlfriend.”

This motherfucker must have a death wish, I swear to God. “Lake and I are getting back together.”

I have to give it to him, if this morning I hadn’t woken up with Lakyn in my arms, her sexy, naked body pressed between me and Luca, I would doubt myself.

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